Beech Tree News Network

BELTON, KY— I was in Frankfort last week for three days of Interim Joint Committee (IJC) meetings and want to share several items that were discussed as well as acknowledge some events that took place in the district. Also, we have been informed that a Special Session will be called in the very near future.

In the IJC on Education, we heard from the Lieutenant Governor and a group of youth who comprise the Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council about their Student Mental Health Initiative. The youth advisors who serve on the council are representatives from across the state, including Delaney Daugherty from Butler County High School.

They emphasized that mental health issues existed prior to COVID-19 but were exacerbated by the pandemic and the lock-downs. Almost 50% of students reported online learning having a negative impact on them and their learning while only 11% reported a positive change with 38% having a neutral response.

They gathered information from national studies and conducted nine Student Mental Health Action Summits across the state to hear firsthand from Kentucky’s students, their peers. They shared what they heard and made recommendations to the legislature for potential action in the next legislative session. 

Recommendations included elevating student voice, comprehensive suicide prevention, excused mental health days, expanding access to mental health services and treatment in school, increasing mental health awareness and education, and increasing and improving mental health professional development for staff. Concerns raised by members of the committee included how to address potential abuse of mental health days and the involvement of parents in any potential counseling that might take place at school as well as parents knowing what is included in any curriculums that might be used.

While mental health issues are real and need to be acknowledged and addressed, any mental health services offered in our public schools need to be open and transparent to parents and should not take place in a vacuum. With the rise of children and youth being allowed to leave school in states such as California to receive puberty blockers without parental knowledge, we need to ensure parents are always included in any type of conversations around counseling and what medical care their child receives at or while they are supposed to be in school here in Kentucky.

In the IJC on Appropriations and Revenue we received an update on the fiscal year closeout, from the University of Louisville’s Cybersecurity Program, and an update on the revenue provisions of HB 8, the income tax reduction plan. The budget reserve trust fund was reported as currently having the largest balance in the history of the state of $2.7 billion, which is critical to have on hand for things including economic development, natural disasters such as tornadoes and flooding, and cutting individual income taxes.

HB 8 calls for a series of incremental cuts in personal income tax until it is completely eliminated. Each cut is triggered by a formula based on how much actual revenues exceed expenses plus the dollar value of a 1% drop in income tax. If the trigger is engaged, then the legislature would act to engage a decrease of one-half percentage point to your personal income tax until it is zero. Legislative tax experts are predicting that the drop in income tax that is set for January 2023 will leave approximately $600 to $650 million in taxpayers’ pockets to be invested and/or spent in local communities.

In the IJC on Natural Resources and Energy we heard from experts and members of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association (KPMA), the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS), and a retailer of gasoline from rural Kentucky regarding gas prices in the Commonwealth.

There is a projected supply growth needed of 2.2 mb/d by OPEC and 1.4 mb/d from the U.S. to balance global markets. Our inventories, as of August 5, are the lowest commercial U.S. crude oil inventories since 2014 and the lowest Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)  https://www.energy.gov/fecm/strategic-petroleum-reserve since 1985.

A combination of demand outpacing supply and low inventories has historically been a recipe for increasing gas prices. It was emphasized that U.S. economic and energy security requires a renewed focus on policies to support healthy production, pipeline infrastructure, and trade. Pay close attention and contact our federal delegation to stay on top of this issue not only for your out-of-pocket expenses for gas at the pump but for our national security.

Exciting news in the district included the groundbreaking for the new hangar project at the M21 (Muhlenberg County) Airport to support Madisonville Community College’s Aviation Training Center, Muhlenberg location. It is exciting to think about the many possibilities this offers not only for Muhlenberg County, but for District 15 and the region. Educational opportunities for students in K-12, college students, retiring military from Fort Campbell, and anyone who might be interested in furthering their education who has already graduated high school but might want a change in career or greater wage earnings are available here at home. I hope parents and school personnel will make our students aware of these opportunities.

Furthermore, it was announced that Butler County has been awarded $350, 962 from the Cleaner Water Program for their water system to add thousands of feet of waterline providing increased water pressure, flow, and service reliability. Additionally, Morgantown received a $750,000 Community Black Development Grant to construct a new fire station that will serve approximately 2,066 households both in the city and adjacent areas.

As always, I welcome your comments and concerns on any issue and can be reached, regardless of if in session or not, through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at-1-800-372-7181, at 502-564-8100, Ext. 59010, or via email at [email protected]

Please follow me on Facebook @melindagibbonsprunty. You can also keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation by visiting our website at https://legislature.ky.gov and watch both live and recorded meetings on YouTube at KY LRC Committee Meetings or on Kentucky Educational Television at https://ket.org/legislature.

Note: Representative Melinda Gibbons Prunty represents the 15th House District. She is Vice-Chair of both the Health & Family Services Committee and the Budget Review Sub-Committee on Health & Family Services. She serves on the Appropriations & Revenue, Education, and Natural Resources & Energy Committees as well as Medicaid Oversight & Advisory and the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening & Prevention Advisory Committee.